A dead bat found on Memorial Day near the baseball field at Willow Street’s Frank Branhall Park in San Jose has tested positive for rabies, setting off an alert for anyone who might have come in contact with the bat or other bats to seek immediate medical attention.
Rabies can be deadly, and it must be treated quickly after exposure for treatment to be successful. A fast-acting shot helps neutralize the disease and prevent a victim from developing rabies. The injection is then followed by four more shots over two weeks.
Britt Ehrhardt, public health communicator with the Santa Clara County Health Department, said there is no indication that humans were exposed to the bat. The department received the dead animal from San Jose’s Animal Care Services on Monday for testing, and rabies was confirmed the following day.
Ehrhardt said it’s not uncommon to have a few rabid bats in the county every year — “a few” being the operative phrase. Rabies in bats is rare, but according to the Centers for Disease Control, bats account for the majority of animal-to-human transmissions. Ehrhardt says it’s important that people don’t touch bats or any wildlife.
If you have questions or information about the bat, contact San Jose Animal Care Services at 408-794-7297 or the Santa Clara Health Department at 408-885-4214.
